Apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles.



No. 836,297. 7 PATENTED NOVLZO, 1906.

H. M. BROOKFIELD.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GLASS INSULATORS OR OTHER SIMILAR GLASS ARTICLES. APPLIGATION FILED NOV.15. 1901.

a SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

INVENTOR H BYKWVW ATTORNEYS No. 836,297. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

H. M. BROOKFIELD. APPARATUS FOR MAKING GLASS INSULATORS OR OTHER SIMILAR GLASS ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1901.

3 SHEETSSHBET 2- INVVENTOR WITNESSES:

BY 1W-=+ @M'A W ATTORNEYS PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SRIEET 3.

l lllllldr n1 n I I I III/A IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII( INVENTOR M A SWIM H. M. BROOKFIELD. APPARATUS FOR MAKING GLASS INSULATORS OR OTHER SIMILAR GLASS ARTICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 15. 1901.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HENRY BROOKFIELD, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GLASS msuuuoas on OTHER SIMILAR GLASS ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed November 15,4901. 8eria1No. 82.368.

- fore been possible and more certain and accurate,.to reduce the cost of the manufacture of said articles and to simplify such apparatus and make it more compact; also, to provide devices for automatically feeding molten glass from the furnace to'the molds, to render such feeding certain and accurate, and to provide means for adjusting such feeding devices to vary the amount of feed as required; also, to provide means for making the process of manufacturing glass insulators or similar articles, from'the discharge of the glass from the furnace to and through the annealing of such articles a continuous and automatic one, thus-avoiding the necessity of manual interference or of handling the insulators during such operation; also, to improve the finished articles and'to make them more perfect and of a better appearance. 1

It consists of the novel devices and combinations herein shown and described;

I have shown my improvement in connection with a press for making'glass insulators, although it is obvious that it may be employed with other apparatus and'for making other similar articles from molten glass.

In the drawings accompanyin this specifi cation and forming art hereof have shown and will now proceec to describe my improvement as embodied in its preferred form in connection with a press for making glass in sulators.

In such drawings, Figure 1 represents,

partly in side elevation and partly inlongitu dinal section, such'a press, many of the parts of the said press having no direct connection with my improvement, being omitted for sake of clearness, and the furnace being shown only in part. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a part of the furnace andthe devices for feeding, measuring, and delivering the molten glass from the furnace to the molds. Fig. 3 is a front view, partly in section, of a livering devices. Fig. 4 is a detail and side View of part of the said mechanism. Fig. 5 shows a modification of the feeding and measuring devices, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken through the leer.

Referring to the form of my invention shown in the drawin s, 1 represents a glassfurnace, and 2 themo ten glass therein. furnace-is provided, as shown in Figs. Zand 5,, with a dischar e-chamber 3, whose floor 4 main part 'of the furnace.

glass in the main part of the furnace from passing into the discharge-chamber.

The floor 4 of the discharge-chamber 1s eled, as shown,-for the better seating upon it of a valve 8. This valve controls the dis-' charge of the molten glass from the furnace,- and this valve may be raised from its seat or lowered upon it by any suitable means. As shown, it is raised and lowered bythe following described mechanism: The rod 9, which carries valve 8, is 'pivotally secured at 10 to lever 11, fulcrumed at 12 and providedat its which runs upon a cam 15, mounted on shaft 16, fingers 17 .of rod 13"embracing the shaft,

through gear19, mounted on the same shaft on stud 22 and meshing with gearfliyand gear 23 on shaft 16. By, these means valve'8 is automatically controlled and is opened the proper distance and kept open just the exact length of time necessary to permit the desired amount of molten glass to escape the amount'of discharge can be accurately adjusted. I also prefer to make valve 8 ad nish an additional means" of adjustment. Valve 8 is provided with beveled surfaces to shown in Fig. 2.

ing and measuring devices for acgui ately separating the molten glass discharged from part of the said feeding, measuring, and de- The is raised above t e level of the floor 5 of the 6 is a boot of ordinary construction to prey vent the scum on the surface'ofthe molten provided with an orifice 7, preferablybevother, end with a rod 13, carrying a roller 14,

as shown in Fig. 2, in the ordinary manner. Shaft 16 is driven from pulley 18, to which power "is impartejd from any suitable source .9 20, which carries pulley 18", gear 21 turning from the furnace. By changing the speed of the-driving parts or by adjustingthe gearing justable upon rod 9, as by' means of screwthreads, as shown in, Fig. 2, in,order to furseat upon the beveled surfaces of orifice 7, as

The above means furnish adjustable feed the furnace into masses of the exact amount desired.

Rod 9 and valve 8 are referably made hollow, as shown, so that they may be supplied with a cooling medium 24 to keep these parts at the proper temperature. Any cooling medium may be used, which is supplied, as shown, through pipes 25 from any suitable source. Unless valve 8 is cooled it is liable to be speedily burned out.

26 is a burner of any suitable construction for throwing a jet of flame through orifice 27 upon the glass in the discharge-chamber to keep it at the proper temperature at the point of discharge.

I provide means for automatically delivering to the molds the molten glass as it is discharged in separate masses from the furnace. For this purpose I preferably provide a rotating receiver 28, adapted to receive the separated masses and remove them from the point of their discharge from the furnace, so that they may be delivered to the molds. In the form shown the receiver is provided with a plurality of dished surfaces 29, each provided with bounding side Walls 30. The receiver is mounted integral with shaft 31 in sleeves or bearings 32, carried by the framework of the machine, and shaft 31 is intermittently rotated through gear 33 and wheel 34, the latter having a segment 35 provided with gear-teeth, as shown in Fig. 4. Gear 34 is mounted on shaft 20 and at each revolution rotates the receiver, in the form shown in the drawings, one-third of a rotation, bringing a new dished surface into place to receive another mass of molten glass.

The receiving-surface is locked into position after each one-third revolution. For this pur ose a disk 36 is mounted on shaft 31, provide with dished surfaces 37 ,corresponding to those of the-receiver, and a disk 38 is mounted on shaft 20 to engage the surfaces 37,: as shown in Fig. 4. A part of the periphery of disk 38 is cut away, as at 39. This cut-away portion is opposite to the toothed segme'ntof wheel 34, as shown in Fig. 4.

This arrangement unlocks the receiver-shaft at the time that gear 35 meshes with gear 33 and permits shaft 31 and the receiver with it to rotate one-third of a revolution. he receiver may be composed of one or any number of receiving-surfaces and may be of any desired form or construction. As shown, it iscomposed of three receiving-surfaces. The interior, of the receiver is preferably made hollow to receive a cooling medium 24, supplied to it through pipes 40 and the hollow interior of shaft 31. Unless the receiver is cooled the molten glass is liable to stick to its-surfaces.

The molten glass can be removed from the 'receiverfor delivery to the molds by any suitable means. I As shown in the drawings,

Iprovide for this purpose a trough 41, placed so that at each one-third rotation of the receiver the molten glass is emptied from one of the dished surfaces upon which it was fed into the trough and passes down through the trough into a mold 42.

43 in Fig. 2'is a mass of molten glass just passing into the mold.

Trough 41 is cooled by any suitable cooling medium 24 through pipes 44 in order to prevent the sticking of the glass to its surface.

It is not essential to my broad invention that delivering mechanism be interposed between the rotating receiver and the mold as, for example, in cases where the mold is arranged to pass immediately beneath the receiver and to receive the separated masses directly from the receiver itself. I prefer,

however, to insert some intermediate mechanism, like the trough and its appurtenances above described.

Molds of any suitable. form or description may be employed, and these molds may be operated by hand or automatically in any well-known manner. As such mechanism, separately considered, forms no part of the present invention, I have not shown it in detail, but .have rnerel represented in Fig: 1 a turn-table 45, of wefl-known construction, provided with a series of molds 42. This table is rotated in the ordinary way, bringing each mold in turn opposite trough 41. preferably provide an additional trough 46, fixed to each mold or to the turn-table at each mold to carry the molten glass from trough 41 into the mold proper. The table is further rotated after the glass has been poured into the'mold, and the insulator is made in any well-known way, either manually under the point where the insulators are discharged from the press. As the molds open and the insulators are discharged they fall through the opening 47 into the leer and upon an endless carrier 49 of any suitable construction, carried byrollers 50. Either one or both of these rollers is driven in any suitable manner to impart movement to the endless carrier. As such driving mechanism forms no part of the present invention and as it may be of any construction, I have not shown it in the drawings.

Each insulator when it is discharged from the mold drops through opening 47 upon the endless carrier and is carried in the direction of the arrow through the leer to the deheated in any suitable manneras, for example, by burners 51, which are placed, preferably, at the forward end of the leer.

52 is a support for the upper portion of the endless carrier to prevent it from sagging under the weight of the insulators. The carrier is preferably provided with raised edges 54.

The leer is made of sufficient length, and the carrier is driven at such a speed as to properly anneal the insulators while they are being carried through the leer. All handling of the insulators or other articlesupon their discharge from the press is avoided. The insulators are dropped at once into the leer and are annealed before any handling of them becomes necessary. My improvement accordingly not only saves in labor and expense, but also tends to prevent injury to the insulators through handling them before annealing.

In the form of my device heretofore shown and described the feeding and measuring devices for feeding and separating theglass into masses of the desired amount consist of a valve 8, rod 9, and the means for opening and closing the valve and for timing such movement. If desired, however, valve 8 could be so arranged and connected as to be open during all the time the press is working'and the glass be separated and measured by means of the rotating receiver. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification constructed on this plan. Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal section through the receiver and a part of the furnace and trough. It is intended merely to illustrate, without givin all of the details and. connections, the modi cation last above referred to. In this case valve 8 can be opened and closed in any suitable wayas for instance, by handand be'left open during the operation of the press. -A steady stream of molten glass will accordingly flow down onto the receiver. The receiver in such case will be continuously rotated and at such a speed that from the time one edge 53 of the dished surface passes the opening 7 in the furnace until 'the other edge 53 of the same dished surface'passes the said point the exact amount of molten glass required for each insulator or other article will have flowed down through the opening upon the dished surface 29'. A scraper 154, secured to the framework of the press in any suitable manner, (not shown,) is arranged near the top of the receiver in close proximity to the lefthand end of opening 7, as seen in Fig. 5.-

This scraper is so arranged thatit will press against each edge 53 and push or scrape the molten glass that may have fallen upon it back onto the next dished surface Each mass of molten glassv is emptied by its dished surface upon trough 41 in the manner already describe Many modifications and departures from the particular form of devices shown in the drawings may of course be made without departing from my invention, the essentials of which are set forth in the claims appended hereto.

By means of my improvement the operation of a press for making glass insulators or similar articles may be made truly automatic and be made certain and accurate. The amount of molten glass supplied in each instance is accurately and with certainty determined. Such feed can be easily, accurately, and with certainty adjusted in order to vary the amount of glass su plied to the molds. The annealing of the nished insulators or other articles is simplified and made automatic and the annealing itself perfected. The apparatus of the press is simplified and made more compact and the cost of making glass insulators or similar articles materially reduced, and the articles themselves are made better in appearance and perfect in form.

In the best form of my invention the de vices for feeding the glass from the furnace, for separating the glass and for delivering it into the mold, and for delivering it from the mold into the leer and conveying it through the leer are all automatic. My invention, however, in some of its features is not restricted to such automatic operation.- For example, it is not essential that the different devices for accomplishing the different steps should all be automatic. One or more of them, as desired, may be manually performed IOO or be manually actuated. v I prefer, however,

the automatic operation throughout, as

thereby time and labor are saved. In both cases, however, the manufacture of articles is a continuous one, whether .all of the devices are operated automatically or not. It is important to provide means for cooling the different metallic surfaces with which the molten glass comes into contact, as otherwise such surfaceswill become heated and the glass will stick to them and clog the apparatus and stop its operation.

Attempts have heretofore been made to feed glass automatically from a furnace and separate it into masses of the desired amount for deliver to molds ;-but all such attempts, so far as I ffnow and am informed, have been unsuccessful. By my improved apparatus the obstacles that have heretofore made such 1 devices inoperative anduseless are all over-.

come. In no case that I am aware of, however, has anyattempt been made to continuously and automatically manufacture glass insulators from the discharge of the molten glass from the furnace to and through theannealing of the insulators.

Theform of mold shown herein forms no part of the present invention and is not claimed in this application; but it is not abandoned, as it is the intention to make itthe subject-matter of another application.

claimed in this application, as it forms the subject-matter of another application of mine, divisional hereof.

The specific form of devices for feeding the molten glass from the furnace and separating it into masses of the desired amount and delivering, as are herein shown and described, is not separately claimed in this application, as it forms the subject-matter of another application of mine, divisional hereof. Similarly, the process of making glass insulators or simi lar articles illustrated herein is not specifically claimed in this application, as it forms -the subject of another application of mine.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for automatically feeding the molten glass from a furnace in a small stream and for automatically separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount, a mold, a leer for annealing the glass insulators or other articles arrangedto receivethe glass insulators or other articles from the mold and provided with a carrier for conveying the said articles through the eer.

2. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for automatically feeding the molten glass from the furnace in a small stream and for separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount, a mold, and means for delivering the glass into the mold, a leer for annealing the glass insulators or other articles, arranged with one end under the point of discharge of the glass insulators or other articles from the mold, and provided with a carrier for receivingsaid articles as they are discharged from the mold for conveying them through the leer.

*3. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of adjustable devices for automatically feeding the molten glass from a furnace in a small stream and separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount,

- and means for delivering the glass into a mold, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles. Y

4. In apparatus for making glass insulatorsor other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for automatically feeding the molten glass from a furnace in a small stream, adjustable measuring devices for separating the said stream into masses of any desired amount, and means for delivering the glass into a mold, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles.

5. In apparatus for making glass insula tors or other similar glass articles,the combination of a furnace'for the molten glass provided with a small orifice for the discharge of the glass, a valve for said orifice to control the discharge of molten glass therefrom, devices automatically actuated for opening and closing said valve to control the said discharge, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles.

6. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace for the molten glass provided with a small orifice for the discharge of the glass, a valve for said orifice to control the discharge of molten glass therefrom, devices automatically actuated for opening and closing said valve to control the said discharge, means for delivering the glass into "a mold, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles.

7. In apparatus for makin glass insulators or other similar glass artic es, the combination of a furnace for the molten glass provided with a small orifice for the discharge of the glass, an adjustable valve for said orifice to'control the discharge of molten glass therefrom and to regulate itsamount, devices automatically actuated for o ening and closing said valve to control th said discharge, andmeans for delivering the glass into a-mold, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other glass articles.

8. In apparatus for makin glass insulators or other similar glass artic es, the combination of adjustable devices for automatically feeding molten glass from a furnace in a small stream and for separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount, a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles, and a leer for annealing the articles arranged to receive the articles from the mold, and provided with a carrier for conveying them through the leer.

9; In apparatus for makin glass insulators or other similar glass artic es, the'combination of a furnace for the molten glass provided with a small orifice for the discharge of the glass, a valve for said orifice to control the discharge of molten glass therefrom, devices automatically actuated for opening and closing the said valve to control t e said discharge, a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles, and a leer arranged to receive the said articles from the mold and rovided with a carrier for conveying them through'the leer.

10. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace for the molten glass provided with a small orifice for the discharge of the glass, and an adjustable valve for said orifice to control the discharge of molten glass therefrom and to regulate its amount, devices the articles from the mold and provided with v a carrier for conveying them through the leer.

1 1'. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace for the molten glass, provided with a discharge-chamber havin its floor raised above the level of the floor main part of the furnace, a small orifice in the floor of the discharge-chamber for the discharge of theglass, a valve for said orifice to control the discharge of molten glass therefrom, a boot separating the discharge-chamber from the main part of the furnace, devices automatically actuated for opening and closing the said valve to control the said dis-- charge, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles.

12. In apparatus for making glass insula tors or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for feeding .molten glass from a" furnace in a small stream and a rotating receiver adapted to receive the glass, when fed from the furnace, and to remove it for delivery to a mold, a lock for holding the receiver in position to receive the molten glass from the furnace, and a mold.

18. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combihation of devices for automatically feeding molten glass from the furnace and separating the glass into masses of the desired amount, a rotating receiver adapted to receive the separated masses and to remove them for delivery to a mold, a mold, and a leer arranged to receive the glass insulators or other articles from the mold, and provided with a carrier for conveyin point for the them through the leer and means for dellvering the insulators automatic'ally from the mold to the leer.

14, In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combition of a furnace for the mol en glass provided with a small orifice for the dischar e of the lass, a valve for said orifice to contro the disc arge of the molten glasstherei'rom, a rotating receiver adapted to receive the glass when fed from the furnace, and to remove the lass for delivery to a mold, a mold, and a eer arranged to receive the glass insulators or other articles from the mold, and rovided with a carrier to convey the sai articles through the leer.

15. The combination with a press for making glass insulators or other similar lass articles, provided with one or more mo ds, of a leer for annealing the articles arran ed with its forward end under the pointof discharge of the lass insulators or other articles from the moId or molds of the press, and rovided with an opening in its up er wal at said assage of t e insulators or I I other articlesw en discharged from the mold,

leer.

and an endless carrier for receiving "such articles and for conveying them througlithe o the ing glass insulators or other similar glass are ticles provided with one or more molds for making said articles, of a leer for annealing the articles provided with an opening for the passage of the insulators or other articles, and an endless carrier for receiving and conveying the articles through the leer.

17. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace, devices for feeding molten glass from the furnace, and a hollow rotating receiver ada ted to receive the glass when fed from the mace, and to remove it for delivery to a mold, means forsupplying a cooling medium to the interior of the receiver, and a mold.

18. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of adjustable devices for automatically feeding molten glass from a furnace in a small stream and separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other similar glass articles.

19. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace, devices for automatically feeding molten glass from the furnace in a small stream and separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount, and a rotating receiver adapted to receive the separated masses and to remove them for delivery to a mold, and a mold.

20. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace, devices for automatically feeding molten glass from the furnace in a small stream, means for automatically separating the said stream into masses of the de. sired amount, and a'receiver separated from the orifice of the furnace adapted to receive .the separated masses and to remove thein for delivery to a mold, and a mold.

21. In apparatus for making glass lnsulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of a furnace for the molten glass provided with a small orifice for the discharge of the lass, a valve for said orifice to control the ischarge of molten glass therefrom, devices automatically actuated for opening and closing said valve to control the said dis.- charge, a rotating receiver separated from the orifice of the furnace and adapted to receive the separated masses fed from it, and to remove them for delivery to a mold, and

means automatically actuated for rotating the receiver to bring it under the orifice when the valve is opened, and to rotate it to its deliveriy-point when the valve is closed, and a mol.

22. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the comb1- nation of devices for automatically feeding,

molten glass from the furnace, and for sepa- 23. In apparatus for making glass insula-' tors or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for automatically feeding the molten glass from a furnace in a smal stream and separating the said stream into masses of the 'desired amount, a receiver separated from the point of discharge of the molten glass from the furnace and adapted to receive the separated masses of glass and to remove them for delivery to a trough, a trough for conveying the molten glass to a mold, and a mold for forming the glass insulators or other articles.

24. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for feeding molten glass from a furnace in a small stream, means for heating the glass to keep it at the proper temperature at the point of discharge, means for automatically separatin the stream of glass into masses of the esired amount, means for delivering the separated masses to a mold, and a mold.

25. In apparatus for making glass insula tors or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for automatically feedin the molten glass from a furnace in a small stream, devices for heating the glass to keep it at the proper temperature at the points of discharge, means for automatically separating the said stream into masses of the desired amount, means for automatically dehvermg the separated masses to a mold, and a mold.

26. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar. glass articles, the combination of devices for feeding the molten glass' from a furnace, a receiver separated from the point of discharge of the molten glass from the furnace, and adapted to'receive the molten glass and deliver it in separated masses to a mold, means for cooling the receiver, and a mold.

27. In apparatus for making glass insulators or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for feeding molten glass from a furnace, means for heating the molten lass as it emer es from the furnace, means for automatical y separating the glass into masses of the desired amount, a receiver separated from the point of discharge of the molten glass from the furnace adapted to receive the molten glass, and to deliver it automatically in separated masses to a mold, means for cooling the receiver, and a mold.

28. In apparatus for making glass insula tors or other similar glass articles, the combination of devices for feeding molten glass from a furnace, means for heating the molten lass as it emer es from the furnace, means or automatical y separating the glass into masses of the desired amount, a receiver separated from the point of discharge of the molten glass from the furnace adapted to receive the molten glass, and to deliver it automatically in separated masses to a mold.

29. The combination with a press for making glass insulators or other similar lass articles provided with one or more mo dso, of a leer for annealing the articles arranged with one end under the point of dischar e of the glass insulators or other articles om the mold or molds of the press whereby said articles are discharged from the mold directly to the leer, and a carrier for receiving such article as discharged from the mold for conveyin it through the leer.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this Specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY M. BROOKFIELD.

Witnesses: JOHN O. GEMPLER,

EDWIN SEGER. 

